Phil Vixseboxse
@philvixseboxse.bsky.social
Fourth year PhD student at the University of Cambridge 🎓 MSc Palaeobiology & BSc Geology graduate from the University of Bristol. Views my own. LGBTQ+ 🏳️🌈 He/they
https://sites.google.com/view/philipvixseboxse
https://sites.google.com/view/philipvixseboxse
Pinned
Delighted to share that from mid-August, I’ll be joining @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social School of GeoSciences as a PDRA studying bacterial taphonomy with @seanhmcmahon.bsky.social and Bryne Ngwenya!
- this silicified stromatolite isn’t a specimen I’ll be studying, but is a suitably bacterial photo 🧫🦠
- this silicified stromatolite isn’t a specimen I’ll be studying, but is a suitably bacterial photo 🧫🦠
Reposted by Phil Vixseboxse
Our paper on the mysterious Devonian organism Prototaxites has now finally been published! See the paper here (www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...) and our explainer thread below!
Prototaxites reconstruction by Matt Humpage
Prototaxites reconstruction by Matt Humpage
January 21, 2026 at 7:25 PM
Our paper on the mysterious Devonian organism Prototaxites has now finally been published! See the paper here (www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...) and our explainer thread below!
Prototaxites reconstruction by Matt Humpage
Prototaxites reconstruction by Matt Humpage
Reposted by Phil Vixseboxse
🚨New preprint (not peer reviewed)! Last year, NASA announced "potential biosignatures" on Mars: bleached spots in rust-red rocks. Here, we show that rust-dissolving bacteria really can make spots like these. Next step: see if we can make them without bacteria! #astrobiology doi.org/10.64898/202...
January 14, 2026 at 12:48 PM
🚨New preprint (not peer reviewed)! Last year, NASA announced "potential biosignatures" on Mars: bleached spots in rust-red rocks. Here, we show that rust-dissolving bacteria really can make spots like these. Next step: see if we can make them without bacteria! #astrobiology doi.org/10.64898/202...
Reposted by Phil Vixseboxse
Please consider applying when live for our two roles at UCL, UK! Join an excellent, diverse and friendly team to drive forwards open science and learn lots of new skills!
🚨 Pre-announcement! 🚨
We’re hiring for 2 x two-year, full-time roles to join me and the wider @palaeoverse.bsky.social team @es-ucl.bsky.social.
- Research Software Engineer (REF: B04-06999): lnkd.in/eNRBiPnP
- Community Engagement Coordinator (REF: B04-06998): lnkd.in/ejUACCzn
We’re hiring for 2 x two-year, full-time roles to join me and the wider @palaeoverse.bsky.social team @es-ucl.bsky.social.
- Research Software Engineer (REF: B04-06999): lnkd.in/eNRBiPnP
- Community Engagement Coordinator (REF: B04-06998): lnkd.in/ejUACCzn
December 29, 2025 at 11:12 AM
Please consider applying when live for our two roles at UCL, UK! Join an excellent, diverse and friendly team to drive forwards open science and learn lots of new skills!
Reposted by Phil Vixseboxse
A bacterial predator, Halobacteriovorax, acts as a living "probiotic" that halts Vibrio-induced disease progression in endangered Caribbean corals. This shows microbial predators are promising new tools for coral disease therapy! #CoralReefs #MicrobialEcology #ISMEJ academic.oup.com/ismej/advanc...
Halobacteriovorax halts disease progression in endangered Caribbean corals
Abstract. Predation is a top-down regulator of ecosystem integrity and a key driver of community structure and evolution in plants and animals. Despite our
academic.oup.com
December 16, 2025 at 4:42 PM
A bacterial predator, Halobacteriovorax, acts as a living "probiotic" that halts Vibrio-induced disease progression in endangered Caribbean corals. This shows microbial predators are promising new tools for coral disease therapy! #CoralReefs #MicrobialEcology #ISMEJ academic.oup.com/ismej/advanc...
Absolutely delighted to be a recipient of the @thepalass.bsky.social Annual Meeting Poster Prize at #Palass25! It was a pleasure to discuss our new taphonomic approaches with so many of you all.
December 15, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Absolutely delighted to be a recipient of the @thepalass.bsky.social Annual Meeting Poster Prize at #Palass25! It was a pleasure to discuss our new taphonomic approaches with so many of you all.
Reposted by Phil Vixseboxse
This #FossilFriday I am delighted to say that I have been awarded a @erc.europa.eu Consolidator Grant looking at selection in #Ediacaran animals. If interested in Ediacaran life, do come and chat at #palass2025 @thepalass.bsky.social
December 12, 2025 at 10:37 AM
This #FossilFriday I am delighted to say that I have been awarded a @erc.europa.eu Consolidator Grant looking at selection in #Ediacaran animals. If interested in Ediacaran life, do come and chat at #palass2025 @thepalass.bsky.social
Reposted by Phil Vixseboxse
Why is life the way it is? It was a pleasure to share a stage with Nick Lane, @mamaphysikerin.bsky.social, and Cait MacPhee yesterday evening for the @royalsoced.bsky.social seminar event preceding Nick Lane's Gifford Lecture. You can watch the recording here: #astrobiology #evolution #biochemistry
Why is life the way it is?
YouTube video by The Royal Society of Edinburgh
www.youtube.com
October 30, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Why is life the way it is? It was a pleasure to share a stage with Nick Lane, @mamaphysikerin.bsky.social, and Cait MacPhee yesterday evening for the @royalsoced.bsky.social seminar event preceding Nick Lane's Gifford Lecture. You can watch the recording here: #astrobiology #evolution #biochemistry
Reposted by Phil Vixseboxse
The federal government has censored the work of dozens of scientists, including work by my lab, on the impacts of climate change on Acadia National Park. Signs have been removed from Cadillac and Great Meadow. They’re also removing signs about the Wabanaki’s sacred connections to Cadillac.
Signs Referencing Climate Change Along with Web Pages Removed from Acadia National Park
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by The Witham Family Hotels Charitable Fund.
barharborstory.substack.com
September 23, 2025 at 10:59 PM
The federal government has censored the work of dozens of scientists, including work by my lab, on the impacts of climate change on Acadia National Park. Signs have been removed from Cadillac and Great Meadow. They’re also removing signs about the Wabanaki’s sacred connections to Cadillac.
Reposted by Phil Vixseboxse
Quote of the Day,
as found in "Comparative Vertebrate and Human Anatomy: Ecology, Evolution, and Function"
pressbooks.palni.org/comparativev...
Check it out - looks great!
#EndlessFishMostBeautiful
as found in "Comparative Vertebrate and Human Anatomy: Ecology, Evolution, and Function"
pressbooks.palni.org/comparativev...
Check it out - looks great!
#EndlessFishMostBeautiful
July 31, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Quote of the Day,
as found in "Comparative Vertebrate and Human Anatomy: Ecology, Evolution, and Function"
pressbooks.palni.org/comparativev...
Check it out - looks great!
#EndlessFishMostBeautiful
as found in "Comparative Vertebrate and Human Anatomy: Ecology, Evolution, and Function"
pressbooks.palni.org/comparativev...
Check it out - looks great!
#EndlessFishMostBeautiful
Reposted by Phil Vixseboxse
New palaeo-PhD opportunity! Will you be the one to figure out the anatomy and function of fossil jawless fish? Come join the team! Application Deadline August 22nd, funding for UK student only (sorry)
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
July 31, 2025 at 9:40 AM
New palaeo-PhD opportunity! Will you be the one to figure out the anatomy and function of fossil jawless fish? Come join the team! Application Deadline August 22nd, funding for UK student only (sorry)
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
~just to add~
This approach was reproduced by Dr Phil Wilby in 2009 on a Callovian ink sack. The accompanying photoshoot (📸: Phil Yeomans) is iconic.
This approach was reproduced by Dr Phil Wilby in 2009 on a Callovian ink sack. The accompanying photoshoot (📸: Phil Yeomans) is iconic.
July 15, 2025 at 1:40 PM
~just to add~
This approach was reproduced by Dr Phil Wilby in 2009 on a Callovian ink sack. The accompanying photoshoot (📸: Phil Yeomans) is iconic.
This approach was reproduced by Dr Phil Wilby in 2009 on a Callovian ink sack. The accompanying photoshoot (📸: Phil Yeomans) is iconic.
Reposted by Phil Vixseboxse
One of my favourite #MaryAnning facts™️ is that she would discover fossil cephalopod 🐙 fossils with preserved ink sacks, concoct a dangerous chemical slime to turn them back into gloopy ink, and then use her Jurassic ink to draw exquisite illustrations of the vertebrate fossils she found.
Meta.
Meta.
June 25, 2025 at 9:02 AM
One of my favourite #MaryAnning facts™️ is that she would discover fossil cephalopod 🐙 fossils with preserved ink sacks, concoct a dangerous chemical slime to turn them back into gloopy ink, and then use her Jurassic ink to draw exquisite illustrations of the vertebrate fossils she found.
Meta.
Meta.
Reposted by Phil Vixseboxse
Excellent case where specimen based research and methodological innovation results in cardinal revision of dominants of marine biomass in the Late Cretaceous. Squids were diverse and dominant over other cephalopods and fish!
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🧪 ⚒️ #Paleobio #Geology #EvoBio
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🧪 ⚒️ #Paleobio #Geology #EvoBio
June 26, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Excellent case where specimen based research and methodological innovation results in cardinal revision of dominants of marine biomass in the Late Cretaceous. Squids were diverse and dominant over other cephalopods and fish!
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🧪 ⚒️ #Paleobio #Geology #EvoBio
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🧪 ⚒️ #Paleobio #Geology #EvoBio
Reposted by Phil Vixseboxse
Now published in @agu.org Geophysical Research Letters!
What happens to marine archaea when they’re hungry? And what does that mean for the TEX₈₆ paleothermometer?
Full paper here: doi.org/10.1029/2025...
Thanks to my coauthors and mentors for their support — and stay tuned, more is coming!
What happens to marine archaea when they’re hungry? And what does that mean for the TEX₈₆ paleothermometer?
Full paper here: doi.org/10.1029/2025...
Thanks to my coauthors and mentors for their support — and stay tuned, more is coming!
A Nutrient Effect on the TEX86 Paleotemperature Proxy
Nutrient stress alters GDGT distributions in marine sediments, resulting in elevated TEX86 ${\text{TEX}}_{86}$ values beyond those related to thermal effects
Paleoclimate case studies from the Ar...
doi.org
June 21, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Now published in @agu.org Geophysical Research Letters!
What happens to marine archaea when they’re hungry? And what does that mean for the TEX₈₆ paleothermometer?
Full paper here: doi.org/10.1029/2025...
Thanks to my coauthors and mentors for their support — and stay tuned, more is coming!
What happens to marine archaea when they’re hungry? And what does that mean for the TEX₈₆ paleothermometer?
Full paper here: doi.org/10.1029/2025...
Thanks to my coauthors and mentors for their support — and stay tuned, more is coming!
Reposted by Phil Vixseboxse
✨ Excited to share our new paper! ✨
Sustained shift in the morphology of organic-walled microfossils over the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition doi.org/10.1098/rsos...
@royalsocietypublishing.org @rosspanderson.bsky.social @kelleypaleolab.bsky.social
Sustained shift in the morphology of organic-walled microfossils over the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition doi.org/10.1098/rsos...
@royalsocietypublishing.org @rosspanderson.bsky.social @kelleypaleolab.bsky.social
June 19, 2025 at 2:45 PM
✨ Excited to share our new paper! ✨
Sustained shift in the morphology of organic-walled microfossils over the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition doi.org/10.1098/rsos...
@royalsocietypublishing.org @rosspanderson.bsky.social @kelleypaleolab.bsky.social
Sustained shift in the morphology of organic-walled microfossils over the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition doi.org/10.1098/rsos...
@royalsocietypublishing.org @rosspanderson.bsky.social @kelleypaleolab.bsky.social
Reposted by Phil Vixseboxse
Excited to unveil Boltz-2, our new model capable not only of predicting structures but also binding affinities! Boltz-2 is the first AI model to approach the performance of FEP simulations while being more than 1000x faster! All open-sourced under MIT license! A thread… 🤗🚀
June 6, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Excited to unveil Boltz-2, our new model capable not only of predicting structures but also binding affinities! Boltz-2 is the first AI model to approach the performance of FEP simulations while being more than 1000x faster! All open-sourced under MIT license! A thread… 🤗🚀
Reposted by Phil Vixseboxse
Very powerful preprint just went live discussing the different forms of colonialism that act on Mexican palaeo research and how the actions of science can result in political instability and violence.
Is our fossil research hurting others?
egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/20...
Is our fossil research hurting others?
egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/20...
Decolonial Perspectives on Fieldwork and Collections in Mexican Palaeontology
Abstract. The ways in which we produce scientific knowledge are not objective and are subject to systemic biases with colonial roots. Here, we evaluate the different dimensions of colonialism in Mexic...
egusphere.copernicus.org
June 6, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Very powerful preprint just went live discussing the different forms of colonialism that act on Mexican palaeo research and how the actions of science can result in political instability and violence.
Is our fossil research hurting others?
egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/20...
Is our fossil research hurting others?
egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/20...
Reposted by Phil Vixseboxse
Take a look at my group's new paper on distinguishing biological and non-biological tubules of iron-oxide, led by Melanie Podbielski. Yes, the title is a Star Trek reference...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
May 18, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Take a look at my group's new paper on distinguishing biological and non-biological tubules of iron-oxide, led by Melanie Podbielski. Yes, the title is a Star Trek reference...
Reposted by Phil Vixseboxse
this is a letter to the editor from a high school track runner who came in second to a trans girl in a race. her state house rep in maine started talking about it. so she wrote this: www.pressherald.com/2025/05/14/r...
May 16, 2025 at 3:25 AM
this is a letter to the editor from a high school track runner who came in second to a trans girl in a race. her state house rep in maine started talking about it. so she wrote this: www.pressherald.com/2025/05/14/r...
Delighted to share that from mid-August, I’ll be joining @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social School of GeoSciences as a PDRA studying bacterial taphonomy with @seanhmcmahon.bsky.social and Bryne Ngwenya!
- this silicified stromatolite isn’t a specimen I’ll be studying, but is a suitably bacterial photo 🧫🦠
- this silicified stromatolite isn’t a specimen I’ll be studying, but is a suitably bacterial photo 🧫🦠
May 15, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Delighted to share that from mid-August, I’ll be joining @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social School of GeoSciences as a PDRA studying bacterial taphonomy with @seanhmcmahon.bsky.social and Bryne Ngwenya!
- this silicified stromatolite isn’t a specimen I’ll be studying, but is a suitably bacterial photo 🧫🦠
- this silicified stromatolite isn’t a specimen I’ll be studying, but is a suitably bacterial photo 🧫🦠
Reposted by Phil Vixseboxse
Interested in Developmental biology? Imaging? Marine invertebrate body plans? Then this three year postdoc in my group @sotonbiosciences.bsky.social is for you! Join our team to decypher how signalling molecules shape skeletal phenotype in juvenile sea urchins. jobs.soton.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx...
May 12, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Interested in Developmental biology? Imaging? Marine invertebrate body plans? Then this three year postdoc in my group @sotonbiosciences.bsky.social is for you! Join our team to decypher how signalling molecules shape skeletal phenotype in juvenile sea urchins. jobs.soton.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx...
Reposted by Phil Vixseboxse
Using XCT, we got really cool images of a buried zebrafish decaying.
You can see the gases build up, escape, and the body cavity collapse - without disturbing the experiment!
Sometime you even see them pop and rupture - stinky work but awesome to understand fossils 🐟☠️⚰️
dx.doi.org/10.1111/pala...
You can see the gases build up, escape, and the body cavity collapse - without disturbing the experiment!
Sometime you even see them pop and rupture - stinky work but awesome to understand fossils 🐟☠️⚰️
dx.doi.org/10.1111/pala...
May 14, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Using XCT, we got really cool images of a buried zebrafish decaying.
You can see the gases build up, escape, and the body cavity collapse - without disturbing the experiment!
Sometime you even see them pop and rupture - stinky work but awesome to understand fossils 🐟☠️⚰️
dx.doi.org/10.1111/pala...
You can see the gases build up, escape, and the body cavity collapse - without disturbing the experiment!
Sometime you even see them pop and rupture - stinky work but awesome to understand fossils 🐟☠️⚰️
dx.doi.org/10.1111/pala...
Reposted by Phil Vixseboxse
New entry into the sponge/ctenophore debate.... Have the chromosome fusions separating ctenophores from all other animals been given too much weight? Beautifully clearly written paper covering complex arguments from @rcply.bsky.social.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Sponges, ctenophores and the statistical significance of syntenies
Shared fusions between ancestral chromosomal linkage groups have previously been used to support phylogenetic groupings, notably sponges with cnidarians and bilaterians to the exclusion of ctenophores...
www.biorxiv.org
May 12, 2025 at 9:56 AM
New entry into the sponge/ctenophore debate.... Have the chromosome fusions separating ctenophores from all other animals been given too much weight? Beautifully clearly written paper covering complex arguments from @rcply.bsky.social.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Phil Vixseboxse
